As an employer, you must protect your workers from the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling in the workplace. The law sets out how employers must deal with risks from manual handling: - The law sets out how employers must deal with risks from manual handling:
- avoid hazardous manual handling, so far as reasonably practicable
- assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided
- reduce the risk of injury from hazardous manual handling to as low as reasonably practicable
- The weight of a load is important, though the law does not set specific weight limits.
- In some cases, you must provide information about the weight and position of the centre of gravity of each load, if there is a risk of injury and it is reasonably practicable to do this.
Avoid hazardous manual handling - Avoid hazardous manual handling
- You can avoid hazardous manual handling operations by:
- redesigning the task to avoid moving the load
- automating or mechanising the process
- The best time to decide about mechanisation or automation is when you design plant or work systems. Design the layout of a process so there is very little movement of materials.
- Consider introducing, for example, a conveyor, a chute, a pallet truck, an electric or hand-powered hoist, or a lift truck to reduce the risk of harm. Mechanical aids can also help reduce or eliminate risks from manual handling.
Assess manual handling you can't avoid - Assess manual handling you can't avoid
- Assess the risk of injury from any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided.
- You should consider the task, the load, the working environment and individual capability, for example:
- the postures adopted
- how far the load is lifted, lowered or carried
- the frequency of the task
- the weight of the load
- the nature of the load (for example hot, sharp or slippery)
- cramped work areas
- poor floor surfaces
- poor lighting, extremes of temperature
- workers' strength, fitness and underlying medical conditions (for example a history of back problems)
- Also, look out for:
- workers breathing heavily and sweating
- workers who complain of excessive fatigue
- reluctance to do a particular task
- the availability of equipment to help with the lift
We also have risk assessment tools to help you identify high-risk handling operations and prioritise action to control the risks: - We also have risk assessment tools to help you identify high-risk handling operations and prioritise action to control the risks:
- the Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC) tool for lifting, carrying and team handling
- the Variable Manual handling Assessment Chart (V-MAC) tool to help assess complex manual handling operations where load weights vary
- the Risk Assessment of Pushing and Pulling (RAPP) tool
- the Assessment of Repetitive Tasks (ART) tool if the task involves repetitive work using the upper limbs
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